Curtis Tigard is older than four of the stars on the American flag. New Mexico and Arizona weren’t states yet when he was born in 1909. He was 50 by the time Alaska and Hawaii were brought into the union.

After he graduated from Beaverton High School in 1926 – Tigard High hadn’t been built yet; he lived with friends in Beaverton during the week and traveled back to work on his Tigard farm on weekends – Curtis Tigard enrolled at Oregon Agricultural College for $12 per term in tuition. The school is now known as Oregon State University.

And by the time the City of Tigard was incorporated in 1961, Curtis Tigard was 52 years old, a veteran of World War II and a man who still had over 50 more years to enjoy – and counting.

Curtis Tigard, whose grandfather Wilson founded the settlement that would eventually bear his name, celebrated his 105th birthday at the Tigard Public Library on Sunday. And he drove there himself, in his slick red Oldsmobile with the “TIGARD” vanity license plate.

Dozens of Tigard residents packed the George and Yvonne Burgess Community Room to wish Curtis Tigard a happy birthday, hear the Tualatin Valley Community Band play and learn about the city’s rich history on a sunny April afternoon. Curtis, who still lives by himself, was enjoying the music and mingling with friends throughout the afternoon.

“I always have a good time,” Tigard said, matter-of-factly, when asked if he was enjoying the party.

When I introduced myself to Mr. Tigard and told him I was a reporter with The Oregonian, he quipped, “You’re not old enough!” Fair enough – he grew up in the days of Grantland Rice and Upton Sinclair.

I asked him what I thought could be a tough question – what’s your favorite memory of Tigard after 105 years of living there? He answered quickly:

“When I was a kid, I had to take the cows to pasture on my way to school,” he said, recalling a scene far different from the Tigard we know today.

Curtis Tigard remains involved in the community, as his family has been since its inception. He even played a vital role in the building that hosted the party – he was a member of the group that planned the library and was a leading voice in support of a construction bond that helped erect it. A champion of learning, Curtis Tigard believed the library was a prerequisite to an educated community.

“He’s been so community spirited for all his life,” said Martha Worley of the Tigard Historical Association.

What a long, rich life it’s been. And judging by the way Curtis Tigard is still going – you might catch him on the golf course this summer – there is no sign of it slowing down anytime soon.

*An earlier version of this post gave an incorrect figure -- $359 per year, taken from a presentation given at the event -- for Oregon State University/Oregon Agicultural College's tuition in the 1920s. It was much lower, only $12 per term, according to the school's website.